Positively adored by their fans, Wilco has gathered such a deep devotion thanks in part to the band's ever-changing moods and ever-evolving sounds.

Yet their seventh studio recording, the follow-up to 2007's excellent "Sky Blue Sky," is pretty much a safe and staid affair, at times as about as adventurous as the non-descript album title. Still, it's certainly filled with some elements of sweet musical splendor that few other bands approach during their finest hour.

Frontman Jeff Tweedy and his frequently-changing cast of cohorts bring out the dry humor to tell one and all that "Wilco will love you baby" on the opening "Wilco (the song)," before "Deeper Down," one of too many cuts here where melodies seem underdeveloped.

On the occasions when the Chicago-based band rocks, things really do open up. That's most clear during the Western Union musical wires that accompany the desperate edge of "Bull Black Nova" which climbs against the guitar work, courtesy of Tweedy and jazz-inspired stringman Nels Cline, the latter who Rolling Stone magazine dubbed as one of the "Top 20 New Guitar Gods" a while back.

"You and I" features Tweedy and guest vocalist Feist in a light, fairly forgettable duet, though the disc does spin back brilliantly to the band's early pop roots on the harmony-filled "You Never Know," which has a World Party flavor buoyed by some slide guitar work straight out of the George Harrison school of rock.

Unfortunately, that's mid-way through the set and it's pretty much where things peak.
"Country Disappeared," the acoustic "Solitaire" and melodically thin "Everlasting Everything" dominate the back half, though once again, the guitars come on to save the day on one of the disc's other major standouts "Sonny Feeling."

Through the years, Tweedy and company have set incredibly high expectations with every new release. They fall a bit short this time, but even at that, they remain one of our national treasures.

Wilco, "You Never Know"

Brad Paisley, "American Saturday Night" (Sony). 3.5 stars.

Big country artists love to roll out the numbers and Brad Paisley's got some impressive stats to light up his resume.

Eight albums into his career, Paisley has scored 14 No. 1 singles, more than 10 million in album sales and with this album's deeply-touching ballad "Then," he racked up his 10th consecutive No. 1 country single.

Not bad at all, and the full album "American Saturday Night" will only add to his overflowing cache.

Whether marveling at the technological advances he's witnessed on "Welcome to the Future," turning to country flat-top-box guitar traditions in "You Do the Math," or playing it playfully raunchy on "Water," Paisley's got a combination that works well throughout.

He's also turns in some fine guitar work throughout the 14-song outing, teaming with Randle Currie for a workout on "She's Her Own Woman," and letting the six-strings fly with blues-rocker Robben Ford on the guitar showcase that the pair co-wrote "Oh Yeah, You're Gone."

Y'know, it's not surprising to find Miley Cyrus taking an o.k. vocal turn with the Jonas Brothers on this album's "Before the Storm." But Common on board for some supposed street credibility in "Don't Charge Me For the Crime?" Ugh.

By now the world's plenty familiar with heartthrobs Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas, who've almost single-handedly kept the music business alive during the past few years. Like plenty of pop acts that taste huge success early, the Jonas Brothers are faced with the maturation challenge on "Lines, Vines and Trying Times."

They fiddle with some different styles - literally on the country flavored "What Did I Do To Your Heart," and besides the aforementioned artists, they get some help from some impressive guests, like the Earth, Wind & Fire horn section, which pumps up the power on the heavily-produced "World War III," and "Hey Baby," the latter which also matches the trio with acclaimed guitarist Johnny Lang.

The sound does get bombastic at times - the lead single "Paranoid" is simply awful - but they're better when they seem more in control of the sound and the scene, as during the harmony-sparkling "Fly With Me," and the quieter acoustic-traced "Turn Right."

Grizzly Bear, "Veckatimest" (Warp). 4 stars.

photo courtesy Grizzly-Bear.netGrizzly Bear

Choral harmonies melt into waves of chamber pop, splashed with dreamy psychedelia and folksy textures. Instruments enter empty rooms swirling lightly, exiting through a wall of sound. Grizzly Bear has drifted in through that parallel universe they seem to inhabit.

The Brooklyn-based band's been around since 2004 and "Veckatimest" is its third studio set of hypnotic, art-rock. But it's bringing the group a ton of attention, thanks to a fluid approach that melds genres into one trippy soundscape.

To figure Grizzly Bear out consider that they've played with everyone from Paul Simon and Radiohead to the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Singer/songwriter Ed Droste, drummer Christopher Bear, bassist Chris Taylor and singer/songwriter/guitarist Daniel Rossen spent two years working on this album and the effort has paid off splendidly.

"Two Weeks" the lead single, has minimalist keyboard touches, gorgeous vocals and a definite edge of an undercurrent. "Dory," sounds like the Talis Scholars meeting Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd on a carousel. The poppy fields beckon in the overloaded "I Live With You," which eventually cracks against strings courtesy of the Acme String Quartet and trudging, dense guitars. The somewhat more structured, but still staggered "While You Wait For the Others" takes a bit of a West Coast influence on the vocals, maybe, just maybe echoing Brian Wilson for a new age.

All in all, "Veckatimest" is quite colorful, mind-bending stuff, completely ready for multiple listenings to maximize the effect. It's also one of the best albums of 2009.

While plenty of people are celebrating the 40th anniversary of "Woodstock" and the summer of 1969, Columbia/Legacy is taking things a decade further by commemorating what's being called "Jazz's Greatest Year," 1959.

There were a series of extraordinary jazz titles released that year, including works by Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane and others. But Dave Brubeck's "Time Out," not only revolutionized the approach to time signatures with the 5/4 classic "Take Five," it also proved that jazz could be a mighty commercial force, becoming the first jazz album to sell a million copies.

That was no doubt bolstered by sax player Paul Desmond's composition "Take Five," for the single became an unexpected radio hit. But as this three-disc "Legacy Edition" points out "Time Out" meant more than "Take Five." There were soothing but intricate works like "Kathy's Waltz," the sweet swing of "Pick Up Sticks" and of course, the gloriously avant-garde Brubeck composition "Blue Rondo a la Turk."

The bonus discs in the package are wonderful. CD2 contains eight previously unreleased tracks by the Brubeck Quartet, recorded at Newport in 1961, 1963 and 1964. Check out the wild work between Desmond and Brubeck in "Pennies From Heaven," or the swagger propelled by Springfield, Mass.-native Joe Morello on drums during "St. Louis Blues."

Disc 3, the DVD, features an exclusive interview with Brubeck, who's still going strong with an active touring schedule, as well as vintage performance footage, and a multi-camera angle piano lesson.

DVD Spotlight

Diana Krall, "Live in Rio" (Eagle Vision). 3.5 stars.

The ever-elegant Diana Krall turns on her softly swingin' sensual splendor on this impressive live set recorded in Rio De Janeiro with her quartet plus a full orchestra.

Running more than two hours, the 18-song DVD features plenty of classics arranged in bossa nova style, with the blu-ray edition offering an additional four bonus cuts.

Highlights abound on the set, starting with the intimate "I Love Being Here With You," and moving through tracks such as the red hot "Frim Fram Sauce" - which showcases Anthony's Wilson's sparkling guitar work - Bacharach and David's beautiful "Walk on By," and "Cheek to Cheek," the latter which offers a close-up view of the intensity in Krall's eyes as she breezes through a piano solo.

Interview footage as well as the music video for Krall's distinctive "The Boy from Ipanema" are included as bonus features.